Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings

Lightweight

1. Frankie
Edgar (13-1-1)
In round one of his lightweight title defense against Gray Maynard
at UFC 125, Edgar looked dead to rights after taking an epic
pummeling from “The Bully.” Somehow, the New Jersey native fought
back over the last 20 minutes, shutting down Maynard’s wrestling
and becoming the more effective boxer to force a split draw on the
judges’ cards. A third meeting between Edgar and Maynard was slated
for May, but both men were injured just weeks out and the UFC 130
main event was scrapped.

2. Gilbert
Melendez (19-2)
Few predicted a finish from Melendez in his April 9 rematch with
Tatsuya Kawajiri. Not only had “El Nino” gone the full five rounds
in each of his previous two title defenses, but the pair’s initial
meeting in 2006 also went the distance. Melendez topped the
“Crusher” once again, this time in vastly more impressive fashion,
elbowing the tough Dream standout into oblivion at 3:14 of the
first period. While a date for his return has yet to be set,
Melendez will likely make his next defense against American Top
Team’s Jorge Masvidal.

3. Gray
Maynard (10-0-1, 1 NC)
Through five minutes at UFC 125, it seemed a lock that Maynard
would leave Las Vegas with the UFC lightweight crown. The “Bully”
crushed Frankie Edgar in the first round, but the champion battled
back over the next four to force a draw and retain his title in an
early “Fight of the Year” contender. The pair was set to square off
for the third time in May, but injuries forced both men off the
card just weeks before their scheduled third encounter.

4. Shinya Aoki
(28-5, 1 NC)
After a veritable merry-go-round of opponents saw Aoki matched with
Willamy Freire, Antonio McKee, Jamie Varner and Shane Nelson, the
“Tobikan Judan” wound up facing UFC vet Rich Clementi in the Dream
ring on May 29. Aoki asserted his dominance on the floor in the
non-title bout, eventually forcing the American to submit to a
second-round neck crank. Since his lopsided decision loss to
Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce, Aoki has won five straight,
submitting three.

5. Eddie
Alvarez (22-2)
On April 2, for the first time in seven fights, Alvarez failed to
finish his opponent. However, the Philadelphia native looked
nothing short of dominant in defending his Bellator lightweight
against second-season tournament winner Pat Curran, earning one
scorecard of 49-46 and two clean sweeps of 50-45. Fourth-season
tourney champ Michael Chandler is waiting in the wings for his shot
at Alvarez, though that bout has yet to be scheduled.

6. Jim Miller
(20-2)
Before a hometown crowd in Newark, N.J., Miller took another step
toward a lightweight title shot by handing Kamal Shalorus his first
defeat at UFC 128. With seven consecutive wins in the Octagon,
Miller is clearly ready for title contention, but he will have to
wait for the result of the pending Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard bout.
In the meantime, the AMA Fight Club product will face former WEC
champ Benson Henderon Aug. 14 in his opponent’s home base of
Milwaukee.

7. Clay
Guida (29-11)
Vintage Guida was on display June 4 at “The Ultimate Fighter 13”
Finale, where “The Carpenter” used his frantic pace and suffocating
ground game to top former WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis. The
decision win was the 29-year-old’s fourth straight, having also
finished the likes of Takanori Gomi and Rafael dos Anjos during
that stretch.

8. Anthony
Pettis (13-2)
The final lightweight champ of World Extreme Cagefighting had his
June 4 UFC debut spoiled by Clay Guida, who smothered Pettis for
the better part of three rounds and avoided all submission attempt
from the Roufusport fighter. The decision loss halted Pettis’
breakout, four-fight win streak which culminated in his spectacular
win over Benson Henderson last December.

9. Melvin Guillard (29-8-2, 1 NC)
The Greg Jackson-trained "Young Assassin" enters the lightweight
rankings on the heels of his fifth consecutive UFC win, three of
which have come by way of vicious stoppage. WEC transfer Shane
Roller became Guillard's latest victim on July 2, as the former
NCAA All-American wrestler was punched cold in just over two
minutes at UFC 132.

10. Tatsuya
Kawajiri (27-7-2)
The “Crusher” became the crushed on April 9, as Kawajiri was
smashed by the elbows of defending Strikeforce lightweight champ
Gilbert Melendez. It was only the second loss for the Japanese
fighter in his last seven bouts, the other coming to Dream champ
and fellow world-ranker Shinya Aoki. Up next for Kawajiri: a July
16 duel with former Shooto world 154-pound titleholder Willamy
Freire in Dream.